Written by Chuck Wanstrom Tritton Copper Operations that is 100% owned by Aeris Resources is located in New South Wales, Australia. Mining began in 2005 initially utilizing open stoping. Converting to a gravity-based paste-fill method in 2010 allows for up to 95% recovery of mineable minerals. Primary stopes are filled with paste-fill to allow mining of secondary stopes and provide geotechnical stability. Secondary stopes are also filled with paste-fill, though of a lower strength, for the purpose of providing overall stability to the mine. As mining activities continue to extend away from the paste-fill plant, paste pumping has become necessary to deliver paste-fill reliably to the stopes. Due to the anticipated high operating pressures of up to 100 bar and the required high volume of paste of up to 110 m3/hr, a model KSP 220 H(HD)XL-CF piston pump, as manufactured by Schwing Bioset, was selected. The piston pump includes Schwing Bioset’s proprietary Continuous Flow (CF) hydraulics where each cylinder is independently controlled enabling the incoming pumping stroke to begin its forward motion as the outgoing pumping stroke is ramping down to complete its stroke. In this manner the flow into the pipeline remains continuous, eliminating unwanted pipeline pressure transients that may occur with a standard piston pump that is pumping material with fluidic properties. CF hydraulics also allow the incorporation of several key troubleshooting parameters that are otherwise not possible with a standard hydraulic system. These troubleshooting features can automatically perform self-diagnostics on the pump and report back on the HMI or through the SCADA system in less than 30 minutes while the Operator enjoys a cup of coffee. To obtain the same diagnostic information on pumps equipped with non-continuous flow hydraulic systems would take a mechanic a full day of labor tapping into the hydraulic system and temporarily installing valves and meters to ascertain the information. This is not only a dirty and labor-intensive effort, but also risks contaminating the hydraulic circuit and unintentionally introducing new issues to resolve. As a result, CF hydraulics are the next giant leap forward in the evolution of hydraulically actuated positive displacement piston pumps. Not only does it improve downstream pipeline performance, but also:
- Simplifies operation and maintenance troubleshooting in the ever-tightening market for skilled Operators and Mechanics.
- Frees staff to work on other equipment increasing overall shift productivity.
- Reduces plant downtime, contributing to higher production rates and increased annual revenues.
With the launch of these systems Schwing Bioset continues to demonstrate its leadership and innovation by developing technology that advances mine pumping applications and sets new standards for productivity and profitability by our Clients. To learn more about our continuous flow pumps, visit our website here, or feel free to contact Chuck Wanstrom.
Aerial view showing piping system
Paste Pump and Hydraulic Power Unit